Projectile



Sept. 19, 1950 w. w. MoUN-r PROJECTILE l Patented Sept. 19, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PROJ ECTILE Wadsworth W. Mount, Summit, N. J.

Application May 8, 1945, Serial N o. 592,698 s claims. (c1. 1oz-so) The invention relates to projectiles and more particularly to a new and useful ballistic projectile designed to serve as an anchor for an attached line.

Objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part hereinafter and in part will be obvious herefrom, or may be learned by practice with the invention, the same being realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention consists in the novel parts, constructions, arrangements, combinations and improvements herein shown and described.

The accompanying drawings, referred to herein and constituting a part hereof, illustrate one embodiment of the invention, and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

Of the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of an embodiment of the invention in operation;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the projectile of the invention with parts broken away;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on line 3 3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail side elevation of a modif-led form of projectile head; and

Fig. 5 is a rear end elevation of the projectile head shown in Fig. 4.

The invention is directed to providing an impro-ved projectile for use in the ring through the air a line of cable or the like from a base station, wherein the projectile acts to pull the cable behind it through the air from the ring point to the point of impact and further serves as a means for anchoring the end of the cable securely at said point of impact. In so projecting a cable by ballistic means, as dis-closed for example in my copending application Ser. No. 542,741, filed June 29, 1944, now Patent No. 2,490,378, difficulty has been found in providing a projectile which will carry the line of cable through the air a suflicient distance and still anchor itself securely in the ground at the point of impact so that substantial retrograde force may be exerted along the anchored cable. It is especially difcult to cause the projectile to enter the ground at the point of impact Without deflection or ricochet. A primarj7 object of the invention, therefore, is to provide such a cableadvancing projectile which will plunge into the ground at the point of impact with the maximum force and to the maximum depth and preferably in a direction as nearly as possible at right angles to the line of retrograde pull of the attached cable after the projectile has anchored itself in the ground. Another object of the invention is to provide such a projectile which,y Y even if it fails to anchor itself due to the nature of the terrain or other cause, will nevertheless` provide the maximum resistance to retrograde movement by entanglement with adjacent 0bstacles and the like.

I have found that a projectile embodying the desired characteristics will be one wherein the leading end or nose is completely square or normal With respect to the major axis of the projectile, so that the edges thereof at its entering end or nose will have the `maximum tendencyupon impact to shear sharply and eifectively through the encountered medium such as soil of various constituencies; thus the least tendency to ricoT chet or to glance off and deflect axially from the' path of its downward flight in the manner inherent with projectiles having rounded or pointed ends.

Another characteristic of the invention is the attachment of the trailing cable to the projectile at such a point that the projectile Will travel inv its desired trajectory or path of flight without being deflected or diverted therefrom by the action of the cable trailing from it. desired that the projectile travel like a javelin or arrow throughthe air and, especially at the terminal part of its trajectory, that it will plunge y into the ground nose foremost and expend its` energy directly in line with the longitudinal axis during terminal flight to turn or Divot as it strikes the ground, as either of these aberrations from the desired direction of flight will dissipate"Y the terminal energy of the projectile in such ways as to prevent its driving into and anchoring itself in the ground as desired. The length, balance, weighting, stabilization by fins or otherguiding means, and the point of attachment of the trailing cable are all factors which contribute to providing the desired terminal direction of the projectile and the delivery of its maximum energy in that direction so as to secure the maximum depth of penetration.

Accordingly, I have found that the point of That is, it isA attachment of the cable to the projectile is of great importance in assuring the desired direction and energy of terminal flight. The cable should be attached at such point where the effect of the trailing cable will interfere least with the optimum terminal fiight of the projectile as described above. I have found that such desirable point of attachment of the cable lies somewhere between the nose and tail ends of the projectile and preferably relatively near the center of balance of the projectile in night. If the cable be attached too near the tail portion of a ight stabilized projectile, the retardant pull and drag of the cable will tend to lower or pull back the trailing end of the projectile, which is uppermost during its terminal flight, and thereby tend to cause the projectile to fall relatively fiat and sidewise toward the earth. This results in the projectiles striking the ground at a relatively flat angle and falling with only the tip penetrating. Also, the drag of the cable in flight tends to impart a turning moment to the projectile as it falls, so that even after striking, the nose of the projectile will penetrate only a short distance and then the rear portion of the projectile will slap down so that the projectile either lies flat or is deiiected upward and so obtains no substantial anchorage in the ground.

If, on the other hand, the cable is attached at or too near the nose end of the projectile, the retardant effect of the cable thereon will tend to cause the tail in flight to tumble forward, so that the projectile in striking the ground does not enter in the desired axial line of flight, but will strike tumbling forward or in some other erratic attitude. Accordingly, I have found that the cable should be attached, as stated above, somewhere between the ends and preferably at that point which, depending upon the weight and length of the various parts of the projectile and the amount of stabilizing action imparted thereto by fins or other stabilizing means adjacent to the tail portion, will cause the drag of the cable tohave the least aberrational effect on the desired flight of the projectile as described above. In general I have found the best point of cable attachment to be slightly to the rear of the point of static balance of the projectile-that is, it should be somewhat nose-heavy with respect to the point of attachment of the cable.

Another feature of the invention, in combination with the foregoing, is the provision of guiding and stabilizing means such as fins, preferably at more than one locus along the projectile, i. e. relatively near the base thereof and between the base and the point of attachment of the cable, for providing stability and directional accuracy in flight and also for facilitating the initial positioning of the projectile in the gun or rocket launcher.

It will be understood that the projectiles employed are preferably of the non-rotating type, that is those in which no axial rotation is imparted during flight either by rifling of the gun barrel (when a gun is used) or the provision of vanes or fins which would impart such rotational motion. In other words, I have found it preferable for the projectile used with my invention to travel in the same manner as an arrow or javelin through the air without axial rotation and without tumbled or other aberrational departures from stable flight of the type herein described.

Projectiles embodying the invention may be fired from guns of the muzzle-loading mortar type, in which case the usual mortar shell propellant means is employed, while the invention is also adapted to be used with a rocket motor and fired from a suitable rocket launcher. In either case a cable reel of the type disclosed and claimed in my copending application Ser. No. 476,165, led February 17, 1943, now Patent No. 2,399,136, may be advantageously employed, although other cable supporting arrangements may also be used.

Some features of the present invention are disclosed but not claimed in my copending application Ser. No. 542,741, filed June 29, 1944.

It will be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description as well are exemplary and explanatory but are not restrictive of the invention.

Referring now to the present preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, a preferred form of projectile embodying the invention is shown in Figs. l to 3. As embodied, said projectile comprises three major portions, namely the nose or ground penetrating stake or rod I; the intermediate 01' cable attaching portion 2; and the base or propelling and guiding portion 3.

Referring first to the nose portion I, same comprises a relatively long and narrow, solid rod of cold rolled steel or like hard, heavy material, preferably cylindrical in shape and of such length that when a substantial portion thereof penetrates into the ground, the entire projectile will be securely anchored against withdrawal by retrograde pull on the cable attached to the intermediate portion 2. Typical lengths for said rod I vary from 30 to 42, although these dimensions should not be considered critical in any sense and rods of greater and lesser lengths have been successfully operated and the lengths thereof will depend largely upon the` intended particular use thereof and the type of ground or terrain on which they are to be used. In rods having the lengths given, an outside diameter of 11/2 has been found satisfactory, but here again the cross-sectional dimensions are not critical. I-Iowever, it will be understood that the cross-section of the rod is generally related'to its length, it being desired to provide the maximum weight for penetrating force coupled with adequate length for anchoring and adequate cross-sectional strength to resist bending during penetration and under retrograde pull.

In accordance with one of the major features of the invention previously stated, the nose or entering end 5 of the 'projectile portion I is a square, shear, flat or plane surface at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the rod and the circular edge made by said end 5 with the cylindrical surface of the rod is clean and sharp. Any substantial rounding or pointing of the end 5 of the rod I is strictly to be avoided as tending to deect the end of the rod from shearing directly through the surface of the ground at the point of impact in prolongation of the central longitudinal axis of the projectile.

The opposite end of rod I is provided with means for attaching same to the intermediate connecting section 2 of the projectile. Said section 2, as shown, is preferaby a solid cylindrical rod of hard steel or the like, preferably of lesser diameter than the end portion I and in the example shown has a preferred diameter of 1, as having the requisite strength to resist the stresses of firing. The attachment of rod 2 to rod I preferably, as

shown, is made by a tapped recess 6 in the end` of rod I, in which is received the reduced threaded end portion 'I of rod 2. Preferably an enlarged bore 8 is provided adjacent the tapped portion 6 to receive a close fitting portion of the length of rod 2, as shown. It will be understood that any other suitable arrangement for detachably but securely connecting the rods I and 2 together may be provided, it being important that longitudinal rigidity be provided by such connection.

As shown, the connecting rod 2 is formed as a piece separate and detachable from the head portion I, this being primarily for convenience in attaching different forms and lengths of heads to the projectile, as for example, the type of head shown in Figs. 4 and 5. However, so far as a single projectile, such as that shown in Fig. 2, is concerned, the portions I and 2 may well be formed as a single integral rod of uniform crosssection, such construction being functionally operative for a projectile of given length and weight. Furthermore, it is usually preferable to have the intermediate connecting rod 2 of smaller crosssection so as to conserve weight at the intermediate part of the projectile, thereby facilitating the over-all design and weighting of a projectile, bearing in mind that the rear or propellant portion is ordinarily formed of a standard rocket or mortar shell having a fixed weight. Thus, the cable may be attached at the best point in the intermediate connecting rod portion while still leaving room for a head of the desired length and weight.

The intermediate portion 2 of the projectile is provided with means for attaching thereto the leading end of the wire cable Il). As shown,.a sleeve or collar 2a is shrunk, welded or otherwise Xed about the surface of the intermediate connecting rod 2. An eye I5 is formed in a boss I6 projecting radially from the collar 2a. The end of the cable IG may be attached to the eye I 5 by any suitable means, but preferably a swivel connection of the type more fully shown and described in my copending application, Serial No. 598,620, led June 9, 1945, will be used so as to provide a full and free swivel connection between the end of the cable I 0 and the eye I5 on the' projectile. As shown, said swivel connection comprises a ball and single shank terminal fitting II swaged to the end of the cable I0, said ball being seated in a suitable recess at one end of a Sleeve I4 so as to turn freely therewithin. The other end of the sleeve le is bored transversely to receive the cross-pin I2 (having head I I), said pin thus connecting the ends of the shackle yoke I3 to the sleeve. The loop of the yoke I3 passes through the eye I5.

Referring now to the third major element 3 of the projectile, same is shown as comprising a rocket motor detachably connected to the trailing or base end of the intermediate or link rod 2. Said rocket motor comprises the main hollow cylinder 3 of a rocket projectile or motor suitably designed to carry the rocket propelling charge in accordance with known principles of rocket design. The details of the construction of such rocket motors are well known and are not detailed in the present disclosure as constituting no essential part of the present invention. At the forward or nose portion of the rocket motor 3 there is connected a cylindrical adapter 20 which is hollowed and tapped to receive the threaded forward end 2i of the rocket motor 3. The forward portion of said adapter 20 is tapered at 22, terminating in a flat end 23, and is bored at 24 to receive the trailing or base end. of the rod 2 Means for guiding the rocket in night and for,

facilitating the positioning thereof in a suitable launching'trough or the like comprises two sets of spaced apart fins 30 and 35, The set .of rlns 39, as shown, are located near the nose end of= the rocket motor and comprise four rectangularly disposed ns or blades 3| which project radially from the surface 0f the nose piece 20 and, at their.

outer edges, are joined by a cylindrical shell or.`

yopen ended housing 32. The fin construction 35 .is positioned 'at the base end of the rocket motor,

being of essentially the same shape and radial dimensions as that of the fm member 30, vbut preferably the length of said tail fins and correspondingly the length of the cylindrical housing 36 thereabout is longer than that ofthe fins 3|. It will be understood that a mortar and mortar shell of the muzzle-loading or Stokes mortar type, such as the 81 mm. infantry mortar of the U. S. Army, may be used in lieu of the rocket motor previously described. In such case the connecting rod 2 will be substantially longer so that the cable connection 2a will lie outside the muzzle of the mortar barrel and the proper relationship of the projectile parts, as previously described,-will be maintained by additional length of thek rod 2 beyond the connection 2a. In such case the projectile may be as long as nine feet overall. Y

Referring lto the overall assembly of the projectile described above, the diniensioningA and weighting thereof is preferably such that when the projectile is suspended in static condition from the cable fastened through the eye Il, ,the

leading or entering end portion I hangs downwardly. This assures stability in flight and causes the forward end of portion I to enter the ground as described.

Referring now t0 Fig. 1a projectile embodying the invention is shown in fiight from a firing point A to a point of impact B. The cable I0 is shown as being supplied from a reel 5|) mounted on the rocket launcher 5I andv adapted to pay off parallel to the initial angle of flight of projectile, said reel being of the type disclosed and claimed in ymy copending application Serial No. 476,165, filed February 17, 1943.

Regardless of whether a rocket motor or mor-v tar projectile be used as the base or propelling element 3 of my projectile, the operation thereof in flight is essentially the same and in either case a suitably disposed cable reel of the type referred to above will be employed. When the assembled projectile, together with the end of the cable attached to the eye I5 thereof has been put into flight, the cable will trail behind the projectile as it passes through the air along the trajectory C as shown. During the initial portion of a iglit the cable trails substantially parallel to the axis of the projectile; however, vas n the projectile enters the descending or terminal portion of its trajectory. the projectile turns with respect to the line of the cable so that they arc at a substantial angle with respect to each other as the projectile reaches the point of impact.

By virtue of the manner of attachment of the cable tothe projectile, that is, both with respect to the point where it is attached and the swivel attachment itself, the cable exerts the minimum disturbance upon the flight of the projectile, considering same as traveling like a javelinor arrow through the 'air on the trajectory C. Although naturally the cable exerts some drag and irregularities in cable pull and movement are transmitted to the projectile in flight, the point and the manner of attachment thereof are such that the minimum disturbance is imparted to the flight of the projectile. It may be considered that the cable is attached to the projectile at what might be called its dynamic center or neutral zone in flight, whereas attachment of the cable at other places on the projectile, as previously referred to, would introduce serious distortions in the nature of its path, particularly at' the terminal part of its trajectory. As later stated herein, the point of attachment of the cable is also important with regard to resisting extraction or moving of the projectile after it is anchored.

When red into any type of ground except very hard rock or other relatively impervious material, the end of the projectile will tend to drive straight into the ground without deflection, so that a very great part of the length of the projectile, frequently up to or even beyond the point I l of the cable attachment, will enter the ground. When so lired, substantially all the energy of flight or drive of the projectile is exerted truly lengthwise of the projectile and normal to the area of the nose 5 thereof; hence, that energy i's exerted in the manner best designed to drive and embed the projectile to the maximum depth. When so embedded, the projectile will normally form a secure anchor, resisting extraction upon substantial retrograde pull exerted on the cable. In tests conducted in various types of sand, such projectiles,have penetrated the sand to depths as great as '75 and at angles varying from 30 to nearly 90 and have resisted pulls on the cable up `to the order of 750) lbs. With such anchorages it is possible to use the cable for holding or advancing very heavy loads therealong, as by the use of load advancing means such as that disclosed in my copending application Serial No.` 542,741, filed June 29, 1944.

Another advantage of the projectile herein shown and described derives from the fact that the cable is fastened thereto intermediate its ends. Thus if the projectile fails to be buried in the ground or pulls out under stress on the cable, the projectile is apt to catch on and anchor itself between objects or among brush, stones or other obstacles on the ground whereas attachment of the cable at or near an end of the projectile would tend to draw same along in line with the cable and thus minimize opportunities for it to catch and be held as described.

A further advantage of attachment of the cable near the middle of the projectile is manifested after the projectile has been driven into the ground as shown in Fig. 1 and the pull of the cable is exerted generally along the ground as indicated by the line D. In such case, the retrograde pull of the cable will exert itself on the projectile comparatively close to thesurface of the ground, thereby minimizing the unfavorable effect of tending to pull the projectile out oi the ground if the cable be attached ncar the trailing ehdiof `the projectile. That is, considering the anchored projectile as a stake in the ground, the pull of the cable attached at the tip of such stake exerts a powerful leverage tending to bend it and pull it out of the earth, while attachment adjacent to the surface of the earth gives maximum holding power.

While the principles of the invention are most 8 aptlyillustrated by a projectile of the type shown in Figs. 1 to 3, many of the principles of the invention are also applicable to a projectile of the grapnel type as shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

As shown the cylindrical nose or head thereof is designed to be attached, as by threaded connection IBI, to the nose end of a projectile connecting rod 2. The nukes or fingers 102 are angularly disposed about the head |00 so as to` extend radially outwardly with respect thereto and thus provide means for engaging objects, such as barbed wire, trees, etc. to resist retrograde pull. The nose end surface |03 is, as shown, square or at and at right angles to the longitudinal axis ofthe projectile in accordance with the principles of the invention as described above. If desired the flukes |02 may be pivotally connected to the head |00 so as to swing outwardly after impact.

The invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the speciiic mechanisms shown and described but departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the accompanying claims without departing from the principles of the invention and without sacrificing its chief advantages.

What I claim is:

l. A cable drawing projectile including in combination, anelongated rod-like leading body portion having a flat leading end face square with said body portion, a trailing body portion shorter than the leading body portion and constructed to be acted upon by propellant gases to supply power for ballistic propulsion oi the projectile, said trailing body portion being provided with guiding iins for guiding the projectile stably on a trajectory, a coupling rigidly but detachably connecting the leading and the trailing body portions of the projectile in co-axial spaced relation, cable connecting means including a swivel fixed to said coupling at a point thereon adjacent to the center of static balance of the assembled projectile in night, and a cable having one end thereof attached to said swivel, said swivel providing a fulcrum for relative swinging motion betweentheproj'ectilef and the cable under the influence of the drag load of the cable toward the end of flight of the projectile, whereby the projectile isk free to assume a substantially upright position as it approaches the point of impact with the ground.

2. A cable drawing projectile including in combination, an elongated rod-like leading body portion having a flat leading end face square with said body portion, a trailing body portion con'- structed to be acted upon by propellant gases to supply power for ballistic propulsion of the projectile, said trailing body portion being provided with means for guiding the projectile stably on a trajectory, the leading end and the trailing body portions of the projectile being rigidly con nected in co-axial spaced relation, cable connecting means on said projectile and xed against axial movement with respect thereto at a point thereon adjacent to the center of static balance of the assembled projectile, and a cable having onev end thereof attached to said connecting means, said connecting means providing a ful"- crurn between the ends of the projectile for relative swinging motion between the projectile and the cable under the inuence of the drag load of the cable toward the end of flight of the projectile, whereby the projectile is free to assume a substantially upright position as it approaches the point of impact with the ground.

3. A cable drawing projectile, including in combination an elongated rod-like leading body member, a trailing body member constructed to be acted upon by propellant gases to supply power for ballistic propulsion of the projectile, said trailing body member being provided with fm means for guiding the projectile stably on a trajectory, the leading body member and the trailing body member of the projectile being rigidly connected in co-axial spaced relation by a member mounted co-axially therebetween and having a relatively reduced cross-section With respect to the trailing body member, the sum total Weight of the leading body member and the said connecting member being greater than the Weight of the trailing body member, cable connecting means immovably fixed to said projectile on one of said members at a point thereon adjacent to the center of static balance of the assembled projectile, and a cable having one end thereof attached to said connecting means, said connecting means providing a fulcrum between the ends of the projectile for relative swinging motion between the projectile and the cable under the inuence of the drag load f the cable to- Ward the end of night of the projectile, whereby the projectile is free to assume a substantially REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record inthe file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 414,388 Emmens Nov. 5, 1889 538,626 Schmitt Apr. 30, 1895 858,009 Meyer et al June 25, 1907 1,110,507 Myers Sept. 15, 1914 1,142,396 Broady June 8, 1915 1,371,207 Wilkinson Mar. 8, 1921 2,210,820 Schermuly et a1 Aug. 6, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 2,136 Great Britain 1894 

